1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a toothbrush which may have one of a variety of heads, a massage structure or the like, with bristles mounted thereon secured in either a straightline and/or adjustable angular orientation to the handle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Toothbrushes, of course, have been used in modern day society for many years. Accordingly, the prior art is replete with various design configurations, structures, materials, etc. incorporated in the basic toothbrush. These design changes and alterations have been made for the purpose of better facilitating the cleaning of the teeth. One problem generally associated with the manufacture of an efficient toothbrush is achieving the proper angle of the head and, of course, the bristles mounted thereon relative to the teeth being cleaned. In order to solve this problem, a relatively recent development has been a fixed one piece handle and head wherein the head portion was arranged at a predetermined allegedly "most efficient" angle for cleaning.
It should be obvious to even the most casual observer that the best or most appropriate angle of the handle to the head depends upon which of the plurality of teeth in the user's mouth are being cleaned. As an obvious example, the back teeth are best reached when the head is mounted on the handle at a different angle than if the front teeth were being brushed. In such a situation, it is clear that a fixed angle toothbrush does not always achieve the most efficient angle for bristle contact with the teeth being cleaned.
In order to overcome all of the above se t forth problems, the prior art has developed numerous structural designs incorporating what may be referred to as a "adjustable" head having bristles mounted thereon wherein the head is selectively disposable at various orientations to the handle portion of the toothbrush. The following U.S. Patents disclose structures which are generally representative of this type of adjustable head toothbrush.
Hyman, U.S. Pat. No. 4,488,328, discloses a floating head toothbrush having an elongated handle and a brush head supported at one end which is capable of somewhat limited pivotal movement between opposed arms of a supporting yoke like structure. Hyman does not necessitate the removal and reorientation of the head bu t rather, relies on a certain amount of permissible movement of the head when the bristles thereon engage the teeth to be cleaned.
Stevens, U.S. Pat. No. 4,575,894, discloses a vertical action toothbrush designed for brushing along the major axis of the teeth and incorporating a tongue-in-groove means so that the head can easily be removed and replaced on the same handle and also incorporating a resilient means for automatically promoting a wiping action of the bristles and a reorientation of the head and bristles.
Del Rosario, U.S. Pat. No. 4,333,199, discloses an improved toothbrush which includes an elongated handle and a brush with a base and a mounting in the form of a coil spring connecting the brush base to the distal end of the handle which enables the head to swing, rotate or tilt for an allegedly more efficient orientation of the brush relative to the teeth being cleaned.
Bortman, U.S. Pat. No. 4,796,325, discloses a swivel type, angularly adjustable, double headed toothbrush capable of brushing oppositely disposed surfaces of the same tooth at the same time and further wherein the head is specifically adjustable relative to the supporting handle.
Other patents exist which while not specifically directed to a toothbrush structure do show a head having bristles mounted thereon and selectively positionable at various angular orientations relative to a supporting handle. These structures are represented in Booharin, U.S. Pat. No. 2,395,245 and Johnson, U.S. Pat. No. 3,604,044.
The patent to Borea, U.S. Pat. No. 4,592,109, discloses a toothbrush device having a handle or grip portion which is anatomically formed to fit the hand of the user and wherein a head portion is relatively attachable to the handle in a variety of different positions. The position or orientation of the grip or handle in the hand of the user cooperates with the position of the head attached to the handle to allegedly accomplish the proper angle of attack of the bristles to the teeth being cleaned.
Even in light of the structures as set forth above, there is still a need in this industry for a toothbrush structure which includes a head capable of assuming a plurality of operative positions which are defined by a straightline orientation of the head and handle as well as a plurality of different angular orientations of the head relative to the handle. The user may therefore selectively orient the head as well as the bristles thereon to a "preferred" angular orientation best suited. In addition, such a preferred structure should also include a handle capable of being used with a variety of heads wherein each head may, for example, include a bristle structure of different flexibility, softness, rigidity, design configuration, etc.